Prunus avium
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- PROO-nus AH-vee-um
- This plant has medium severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Sweet cherry is a deciduous tree cultivated in landscapes in the rose family and native to China. Its leaves are alternate, simple, and toothed on the margin, with 2 small glands at base of blade. It has 1 to a few flowers in a rounded cluster, 5-parted and white in color. The fruit is a fleshy drupe, yellow or red with a large pit (stone). It has occasionally escaped from gardens and naturalized in the landscape.
Found in: Landscape as a cultivated tree, rarely escaping and naturalizing
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Potential disease problems include leaf spot, bacterial canker, brown rot, black knot, crown gall, leaf curl, leaf scorch, powdery mildew, root rot, scab and shot-hole fungus. Potential insect pests include aphids, fruit flies, saw flies and scale. Birds will eat mature fruits. Late frosts will damage the buds
VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Nuts" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Prunus
- Species:
- avium
- Family:
- Rosaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Europe to Afghanistan, Northern Africa
- Wildlife Value:
- This is a larval host plant to Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus). You may see three flights from February-November in the deep south and two flights from May-September in the north.
- Play Value:
- Edible fruit
- Edibility:
- Fruit edible raw or cooked.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Poisonous
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Columnar
- Conical
- Maintenance:
- High
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Fruit Type:
- Drupe
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Fleshy, yellow to red to purple-red, with a large pit (stone) and long stem.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- White
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- 1-few in a rounded cluster, 5-parted, 1-1.5 in. Emerge with the leaves.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Toothed on the margin with 2 small red or green glands at the base of the blade. Petiole has a groove.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Light Gray
- Red/Burgundy
- Surface/Attachment:
- Lenticels
- Ridges
- Bark Description:
- Very distinct horizontal lenticels. Old wood may be grey with horizontal ridges.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Edible Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Flowering Tree
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Problems:
- Frequent Disease Problems
- Frequent Insect Problems
- Poisonous to Humans
- Problem for Cats
- Problem for Dogs
- Problem for Horses
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Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- Medium
- Poison Symptoms:
- The pits contain cyanide compounds, which are poisonous. If a couple of pits are accidentally swallowed, it will not cause poisoning. The pits are more poisonous if they are ground up/crushed or the seeds are chewed. Fruit that has not been pitted should not be blended into a smoothie. Symptoms include Gasping, weakness, excitement, pupil dilation, spasms, convulsions, coma, respiratory failure.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Cyanogenic glycoside, amygdalin
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Leaves
- Seeds
- Stems
